The Future is Coming Much Faster Than we Think, Here’s Why

Published on: 07 April 2014 Author:Glyn Taylor

Many predictions of the future are based on exponential trends. A reason most people fail to understand that revolutionary technological advances are right on our doorstep, is because they instinctively don’t see growth as being exponential. We are on the ‘knee of the curve’, and exponential growth is about to sky-rocket our technological advances.

First, let’s establish the basics: The rate that our technological advances are achieved, is increasing. Many studies have tracked the advances of many different measures of information technology, and have identified that performance (in relation to price) doubles on average every 18 months. As the rate of our advances continues to accelerate, the future continues to come faster than we traditionally expect.

When graphing exponential growth, we eventually reach a point where growth seems ‘vertical’. This stage of growth is often refereed to as the Technological Singularity. It is a time that seems incomprehensible, and will be possible through our creating sentient Artificial Intelligence, which will have intelligence level far superior to our own.

Once this is possible, and if it advances in our favour – all of mankind’s most intractable problems will be conquered – We are talking about immortality; curing cancer and all current diseases; correcting global warming; efficiently harnessing the power of the sun for free energy; mind uploading – which will allow us to live in virtual realities, travel deep space, and transfer our minds into alternate bodies/robots (all solving the overpopulation problem).

The way we think, is defined by our traditional, inherent survival instincts. For the need of survival, we have only ever needed to think of growth as being linear. For example, if we build 1 house per day, then in 30 days we will have 30 houses; we eat 1 chicken per day, then we need 30 for a months supply.

So, when it comes to thinking about how our technology will advance, we inherently think linearly. We think that, (hypothetically) if a computer held 1GB of memory in the year 2001, and in 2010 it held 512GB, then in 2020 it will hold about 1,000GB. That is incorrect. By the year 2020, with memory capacity having grown exponentially, a computer would hold 524,288GB of memory. And when we reach the year 2030, memory capacity would be over a billion GB – 1,073,741,824GB.

Example – The Evolution of Mobile Technology

Let’s think with those exponential numbers in mind and relate them to our mobile technologies – the technology we generally all carry on our persons at all times. We know how primitive mobile technology was in the year 2001:

In 2001, the tech we always carried was as good as that 1 number: Most of us didn’t even have a mobile phone. They had no cameras and were only used for calls, SMS and Snake. Being able to view web pages on them was unthinkable.

In 2010, it was as good as that 512 number: Smartphones with touchscreens were now popular, with ‘amazing’ 5 megapixel cameras, 1GHz processors, and 3G data connections.

Now, in 2015, they have 20 megapixel cameras, 2.2 GHz processors, far superior UHD screens, and 4G data connections. Not only that, they now have a new friend, in the smartwatch. Imagine what sort of tech we will be carrying around at all times by the year 2020. It should be equal to that 524,288 number, with the augmentation of wearable technologies, and apps massively improved by the Internet of Things and Big Data.

Of course though, not all technologies advance at an exponential rate – batteries, for example. The technologies that are improving exponentially though, such as the power/size/price of computer chips, will aid in the research for other advances – such as nanotechnologies, which will contribute to the improvement of other technologies, including batteries.

Take a look at Ray Kurzweil’s overview of our technological exponential growth.

Another great video about exponential growth is below. It has racked up more than 5,000,000 views and is described as “the most important video you will ever see”.

Moore’s Law / Quantum Computing

Currently, the growth in the rate of our technological advance is spearheaded by advances in computer chip technology. Through the tracking of this growth, it has been pronounced ‘Moore’s Law’. At some point in the next decade, the computer chip will reach the maximum level it can advance. But that does not mean that the exponential growth of technological advances will end. Another technology will simply take over the role of spearheading the growth. At around the year 2020, Quantum Computing will take over from the computer chip, and will be far far more advanced. Quantum Computing could even rise the rate of growth higher than the exponential rate.

When will we notice exponential growth?

Although you don’t yet notice exponential growth, soon we will hit a rate of advance that will begin to shock people. It means that we will begin to see the possibilities that are on the horizon and speeding towards us. We will begin to rethink our ideologies and religions. Some will be scared. Some will be excited. All will be panicking. The panic will spark the rapid deployment of new security measures, while others scramble to be the first to acquire the next big weapon technology. It will divide opinion, but hopefully unite governments in a combined effort to fight crime and terrorism. We need to understand this future, or risk being caught off guard by possible future threats.

We will show you what is possible

Flying Cars?

With the understanding of exponential growth, people tend to look at future possibilities with much more of an open mind. Predictions of the future that were made in the 20th century, were largely made without consideration of trends and what society will want and need as their priority. Flying cars are not needed, and will not be needed for a very long time, if ever. It is not a priority to build them. When people were predicting flying cars, they didn’t even know what would make them fly, or what would even power them.

I would much prefer to have my smartphone, rather than a hover board; a smartphone of which was not even predicted in the Back to the Future Movie. The point is, the latest generation of futurists, should not be prejudged by what previous generations failed to predict. The predictions of the future that are being made now, are far more educated, and based on evidence based trends.

This website displays what is possible, and what dates in the future those possibilities will most likely become reality. Nothing is certain. But if exponential growth continues, everything will be possible.

Keep updated about the possibilities by liking us on Facebook and following us on Google+.

“At some point in the next decade, the computer chip will reach the maximum level it can advance. But that does not mean that the exponential growth of technological advances will end. Another technology will simply take over the role of spearheading the growth”

That sounds rather convenient… Exponential growth is a mathematical principle not a “law” that dictates the rate at which technology advances. Just because mathematicaly speaking technology could get smaller and smaller while getting faster and faster does not mean it is actually physically possible. People seem to want to see technology advance so it can do everything with nothing.

Ray Kurzweil is a brilliant man and far smarter than I am but he’s been wrong before. His devotion to a singularity event seems to border on the religious and is coming from a human man who is as scared of dying as we all are.

I’m all for trying and I love technology but i also respect the world we live in and trying to stay rational about it. That is after all what science is about

The notion that technological growth follows a blindly exponential trajectory is a fallacy. A more thorough assessment of the progression of technological progress would conclude that it moves in fits and starts, with certain fields following sigmoidal, or S-shaped curves, and other fields – such as transportation – progressing very much at all.

Technological insider Bob Seidensticker wrote a book in 2006 pointing out this fact, called “Future Hype: The Myths of Technology Change.

Looking at the individual causes of growth, Andrew, yes – they are not defined as exclusively following an exponential pattern. One big break through in one area will cause an increase of growth in another, and then as that breakthrough becomes a fixed feature, growth will normalise (touch screen smart phones, for example.

Technological growth as a whole though can be described as being exponential when you look at the picture as a whole.

For basic example: If one robot could build one robot per year – start with one robot, wait 30 years, you now have 1,073,741,824 robots.

– When you create something you use that something to create something better and you do so faster. That is the basic theory. And because we are always creating, we are always creating things faster = exponential growth.

The focus should be on what hindrances that growth will encounter, which is unforeseeable. So run with it until you receive new information. Expect tech to have an exponential growth capability, and you are ready for it – which is exactly what Google are placing all their bargaining chips on

Joey Blake

Impressive concepts. I enjoyed this article. I often think how bizare and interesting technology is. It continues to impress entertain ,educate us once primitive animals. Also I feel fortunate to have read this article. I found it from a facebook page called NBIC , it doesn’t have that many likes which is odd because it shares such intelligent posts. Oh well important meaningful and truly incredible information is for the intelligent original advancing people. That is the currently the minority although in time this type of people will increase Exponentially due to the rise in vibrational frequancy (consiousness)and astounding technology we are being presented with during this 21st century. Also one last statment. Read the truth contest “the present” this online book ties the most important ideas of existence that really reflect how far our consiousness have travelled. I feel proud to be apart of advancing my philosophy and scientific information. Thank you

Stipan Lisica

Yay i understood everything and know even more. that good cuz zrself know more.. So how do we do dis? call me on fb

We deliver news and analysis about humanities advance toward the Technological Singularity - a predicted time during the 2040's when anything will become possible.
Follow us on social media so you can catch our new articles as they are released.